Well, it's hard to believe it's been three months since my last newsletter, but it's true. Time flies, when you're having fun, right?! I was working in my garage this morning and I came across something that I thought I should share. I prayed about and felt that I should go with it, so here we go.

Do you know Who we serve? I mean, yeah, we know it's God but do we really know Him? Getting to know another person takes time and effort. It is the same with God. He comes to us in a variety of ways and not everyone interacts with the Almighty in the same way. What I discovered in my garage was a listing of the names of God and it's not even an exhaustive list. I can sometimes meditate on these to learn and understand (or at least try to) more about God. My last favorite "the Ancient of Days" from Daniel 7:9. It really causes me to ponder, what does that mean, the Ancient of Days? It just scratches the surface of who He is. Below are some more names for you all to ponder, meditate, and consider. Doing this increases my faith and gives me peace and confidence as I try to step out to what God calls me, knowing that the "Lord of All" Acts 10:36 is directing me. Here is the list: Advocate I John 2:1 Almighty Revelation 1:8 Alpha and Omega Revelation 1:8 Amen Revelation 3:14 The Author and Finisher of our Faith Hebrews 12:2 The Bread of Life John 6:35 The Corner-stone Psalm 118:22 Counselor Isaiah 9:6 Deliverer Romans 11:26 Everlasting Father Isaiah 9:6 The First and the Last Revelation 1:17 Good Shepherd John 10:11 Great High Priest Hebrews 4:14 Holy One Acts 3:14 I AM John 8:58 Immanuel Isaiah 7:14 Jehovah Isaiah 26:4 King of Kings Lord of Lords I Timothy 6:15 Light of the World John 8:12

I hope this letter find you all starting the New Year with a fresh vigor for accomplishing new goals. I wanted to start off this year with a prayer request. God has been so good to us this past year and many things we hoped to accomplished got done, but some things did not. I think the biggest thing we need is also my prayer request from you for the year. When you approach the Almighty in prayer, would you please pray that He would send "workers" into our ministry. Here is the passage of which I reference: 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:35-38

Please let me clarify what I mean by a "worker". I wasn't talking about a back slapping glad-hander. Those are the kind of people that when you ask for help at a project at your home they show up, enjoy a donut and coffee that you bought for the workers, gives you free advice on your project, and then pats you on the back, shakes your hand and leaves. I also am not talking about "good time Charlies", that's an old school term for the person that "can't make it" for your house work project, but has time to show up for a house warming party any day, any time. I was talking about a worker. Someone who shows up and asks, "what do you need me to do?" They do as you ask and work as long as they can, but they work because they believe in what you are doing and want to help.

I woke up and began my ride in the dark. I wanted to get an early start to a full day of riding. I had to recon a Central PA chapter ride out near State College, PA and then head south to the rally. On the way out I checked out a new road told to me by my friend Rusty Bucket, that was nice. Next, I did the whole recon, even stopping for a scenic photo.

Everything is a go for next weeks' ride, so that was a relief. I wanted to take the "scenic route" down to southern VA, but it was a little past noon, so I didn't have the time. In this case I had to slab it all the way down Interstate 81, and VA is a LONG state! Over 200 miles of slab, uggh. I made decent time, stopping once for lunch, once for gas, and I only hit a slow down in traffic twice. Just as an FYI, 81 mph or higher on a highway is a reckless driving misdemeanor in VA, so watch your speed there. Not that I would go that fast on a public road. I did see some scenic views of the Shenandoah Valley and it was nice to be welcomed again by friends once I arrived at the hotel. Our first dinner together was a quaint bar/restaurant in Marion, which oddly enough was the best dinner we had that weekend. After that we sat in the lobby at the hotel and made plans for the next day. 623 miles that day.

Friday, October 7th Rajin Cajun, our North Carolina chapter leader, led the first ride going south beginning a desperate attempt to avoid the rain. That stinkin Hurricane! We had some dry patches where we were able to get our bikes leaned over and scrub off treads near the edge of the tire. We rode some famous roads, drove through a cool stone arch, saw great scenery, stopped a neat old country store, and enjoyed the day despite getting stuck behind a Wal-mart truck in the rain, not fun.

Hello and good day. I hope as Autumn is now beginning you have plans to get some more riding in before the Winter is here. Unless you are in Australia and then you are planning some new rides for the coming warm weather. Either way, I hope you are riding and sharing God's love and His message of redemption, for that is what the Christian Sport Bike Association (CSBA) is all about. If you don't have plans for October 7-9th, may I recommend the CSBA Fall Rally? The roads will be great, the people will be cool, and you will enjoy yourself. I have been to a lot of CSBA rallies and they are worthwhile events. So come on down to western Virginia for a great rally!

I was finishing up I Corinthians the other day and came across this verse in chapter 16: 13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

Paul writes this at the end of I Corinthians to admonish and encourage the believers in Corinth who endured persecution and faced the temptation to compromise. As believers and followers of Christ, we too face the same circumstances. You will be tempted to compromise, the reason why the Flesh is so tempted by the World and the Devil, is that they give us what we want in our carnal mind and desires. When we came to Christ we were dead in our sin, but Christ made us alive.

Erosion, it happens. When we hear of erosion, we often think of streams that in the course of time take soil away from a stream bank. This erosion widens the riverbed but also carries silt downstream where it can clog the stream or create “sand bar” islands in stream that divert the flow of the stream. Although it is a natural part of an ecosystem, erosion is seldom thought to be a positive thing. Recently in Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna River Watershed has asked land owners and farmers not to plant crops or utilize the land right next to streams. Instead they have asked for the farmers and land owners to plant trees in this space to create/reinforce a riparian buffer. They hope to minimize erosion and have the trees absorb excess water and fertilizers used in agriculture and landscaping. The excess fertilizers getting into streams have added to algae and plant growth in streams, thus diminishing water quality in the Watershed. Now, I am not a hydrologist or a biologist, but all of this got me thinking about our spiritual life with God.

Happy summer to everyone! Except for our Australian members, the rest of us are in the warm of the riding season. I hope you have been able to get out and ride. In that getting out, I hope you have shared the Word with someone. Let us all keep our eyes open for opportunities that God puts in our path. In this way, we may partner with Him in His work.

I recently was listening to the radio in a truck I was driving and I heard Pastor Chuck Swindoll share a message called “Encouraging Essentials for a Dynamic Ministry”. You may go to his website to look up the message in its entirety. I wanted just to share some outline in order for us to apply it as we minister in the Christian Sport bike Association. He used the text from I Corinthians 15:58 and 16:13-14.

58 - Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

13 - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.14 - Do everything in love.